Deptford pirate DVD factory raided

Please note: This page is displaying archived content from a previous version of the FACT website. Images found below are unlikely to display, and you may encounter broken links & missing downloads. For up-to-date news, please follow this link instead.

A joint operation between Lewisham Trading Standards, Met Police, FACT, IFPI and BPI has led to the successful raid of a residential premises in Deptford and the arrest of eight suspects.

The raid took place mid-morning on Thursday, 22 February 2007, following suspicions that counterfeit DVDs and music CDs were being manufactured and distributed from the premises. The operation resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of equipment and materials: • 22 DVD burners used for multiple DVD and CD copying • commercial colour printers connected to commercial printing ink reservoirs • 7,000 completed discs in bags and stored ready for collection and supply • 10,000 blank DVD and CD discs ready for burning • 10,000 sleeves and many thousands of sheets of laser copier paper

A quantity of unclassified obscene bestiality titles were also removed together with 3,000 cigarettes that were not labelled with statutory health warnings.

Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “Enquiries are still continuing but there can be no doubt this is a significant seizure.Counterfeiting is known to have links to organised crime. Anyone thinking of purchasing counterfeit products should also be cautious. DVDs can be of poor quality and, by and large, the source is recorded from a cinema screen using a video camera.”

Kieron Sharp, Director General of FACT, said: “Counterfeiting is detrimental to the profitability and viability of everyone involved in the film industry, including those small businesses selling and hiring out the genuine product.

FACT continues to work with local agencies to help deal with this problem that brings crime to local communities.

The public should note that this is a crime that is controlled at the top level by serious and organised crime.”

Posted on March 2, 2007by FACT

Categories

Latest News

Following a successful prosecution by FACT, the licensees and company directors responsible for the running of the Prince of Wales in Stafford, the Beaufort Arms in Birmingham and the Pheasant Inn in Wolverhampton have been convicted of 64 offences and ordered to pay a combined total of £327,405 in fines and costs for showing Sky Sports illegally in their premises.

Mr John Haggerty, the owner of Evolution Trading, today appeared in Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud and dishonestly obtaining services for another, contrary to the Fraud Act.

Two suppliers of Kodi-type illegal devices have today each been jailed for four and half years in Newcastle Crown Court after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud. John Dodds and Jason Richards sold hundreds of devices that enabled their customers to view Premier League football via unauthorised access to Sky Sports, BT Sport and … Continued